Do you only get one good chance at weight loss on a low-carb diet?

If you’ve done very much Internet research at all regarding the low-carb lifestyle, you’ve probably come across a few people talking about The Golden Shot theory. The thinking behind this theory is that you really only get one good shot at weight loss on a low-carb diet. If you regain your lost weight, you may find yourself battling less effective weight loss efforts on your second go-round.

As someone who’s had to climb back on the the low-carb wagon more than once, I can tell you from experience that it’s not impossible to lose weight a second, or even third time around using a low-carb diet. Is it as easy as it was the first time? Rarely. But that doesn’t mean it can’t be done. Allow me to share my story.

The first time I lost weight on a low-carb diet was nine years ago. I was a youthful 27 years old and while I’d struggled with weight loss on other plans, low-carb living seemed like a breeze. The weight was coming off at a nice steady pace and I was happy and satisfied. All was right with the world. Then something happened. Life. After reaching my goal and maintaining my loss for almost 6 months, life hit us below the beltline. My response was to fall back into old emotional eating habits. It wasn’t long before I was standing on the scale, looking at the highest number I’d ever seen. So there I was, staring at the starting line, mad at myself for having to do it all again. By this time about four years had passed since my initial start on Atkins. I told myself it was no big deal. I’d done it before and I could do it again. But this time things were a bit different. I was older and frustrated with my previous failure. And don’t kid yourself thinking age doesn’t matter. It does. Younger metabolisms tend to just work better. That doesn’t mean we can’t lose weight when we are older, it just means we may need to work a little harder to get there.

I started my second attempt at Atkins with a bad attitude. My “I’m-such-an-idiot-why-did-I-let-this-happen” mindset only hindered my efforts. Instead of attacking my flabby thighs with healthy foods and exercise, I half-heartedly ate the way I was supposed to and secretly hoped somehow the magic would happen without any real effort on my part. I had lost the confidence I once had in my ability to stick with the plan. While professing my dedication verbally, my mind was silently protesting my ability to make it happen. This self-sabotage was constant and I found myself doing well for a couple of weeks, only to blow all my progress on pizza or other junk food later. My justification behind having the pizza was my perceived imminent failure. I believed I’d gain the weight back anyway, so why not give up and just enjoy myself now. Then I dealt with a day full of remorse over eating the offending food and vowed to do better. This destructive cycle was repeated month after month. Obviously I never made my goal, even though I did see minor results on occasion. I finally took a few months off of dieting altogether to think things over.

On my third try I was certainly several years older than when making my first attempt. My body had changed quite a bit since then. Would low-carb still work? I worried that the Golden Shot had passed and I’d never again see success. It seemed feasible considering my past failure. But after taking some time to really look at why I’d failed, I realized it had nothing to do with the diet itself, and much to do with the way I approached weight loss. My first failure was because I’d not yet conquered my emotional eating demons. My second failure was because I’d given up on myself. I was determined to enter this third effort armed with knowledge of my own destructive behaviors and a plan to defeat them.

I’m happy to say that my third attempt struck pay-dirt and I’m still doing well. Sure it’s been tough at times. My metabolism and hormones are 36 years old now and set in their ways. They don’t like being told what to do. I’ve had to work hard and train them to respond to healthy eating. But I’m just as amazed now, as I was nine years ago, at the effectiveness of a properly executed low-carb diet, coupled with determination and a positive attitude. I would love to tell you I have it all figured out, but that would be a lie. Life is a never ending opportunity to learn and I have a lot of learning left to do. Discover what makes you tick and what holds you back, and then tackle it with the belief that you are stronger than you ever imagined. No matter your age or how many times you’ve given the low-carb lifestyle a try, go for it again. You can do it and no theory, real or imagined, can keep you from it. You have to believe in yourself. Trust me. If I can do this, so can you.

© 2010 by Amy Dungan. Article and photograph used by kind permission of the author. Send Amy your comments to Amy Dungan.